Knitting machine



April 1941- c. N. STOV ER 2,239,406

KNITTING MACHINE iled Sept. 1,, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

INVENTOR c. msroyen 3. emu-i444 ATTORNEY Apt-H22, 1941. c, STOVER xurmme MACHINE Filed Sept. 1, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR V 5 M m m V T WA m R G v B Patented Apr. 22, 1941 KNITTING MACHINE Clyde N. Stover', Baltimore, Md., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 1, 1938, Serial No. 227,942

11 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines and more particularly to knitting machines for covering a core, such as an electrical conductor.

One of the limiting factors in operating a knitting machine is needle breakage linked with frequent difficulty in replacing broken needles.

An object of the present invention is to provide a knitting machine capable of operating effectively and efliciently at high speeds.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises a knitting machine having needles disposed for movement in a needle carrier actuated through a single element which is operatively connected directly to certain of the needles and through interposed members to other of the needles to efiect movement of a plurality of the needles to the limit of their movement in like directions simultaneously.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a knitting machine embodying the invention, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, a. base 6, mounted upon a suitable support (not shown), has a pair of standards I, extending vertically therefrom and carrying at their upper ends a cross member 8. In a central aperture of the cross member 3 a cylindrical tube 9 is mounted, through which the core III, to be covered with a knitted tubular covering, is passed. Beneath the cross bar 8 a circular member H is mounted upon the tube 9 for adjustably supporting threadguides l2, the thread guides having apertures in their lower extremities to receive and guide threads l3 from thread supply spools or cops 14.

The base 6 is apertured to receive a bearing l5 (Fig. 2) in which a needle carrier or cylinder I6 is rotatably disposed. The needle cylinder extends vertically through the bearing and has a plurality of equally spaced longitudinally extending slots IT in its outer periphery, in which needles l8 and connecting elements I! are vertically reciprocable.

The needles l8 and the-connecting elements l9 are held in their respective slots in the needle carrier by anouter sleeve 28 which forms a part of the needle cylinder and rotates therewith as it is secured in a predetermined set position by means of screws 2| or the like. As shown in Fig. 1, the sleeve is provided with a vertically extending slot 22 which may be positioned in registration with any of the needles I8 or connecting elements I9 by first loosening the screws 2| and manually rotating the sleeve about the needle carrier until the slot is aligned with the desired needle or element. The main purpose of the slot 22 is for the rapid removal and replacement of a needle I 8 should one become broken.

A cylinder head 25, having a central aperture therethrough, is mounted in the upper end of the needle cylinder l6 and is adjustable therein by means of screws 26 and associated lock nuts. The cylinder 25, which may be considered as part of the needle cylinder l6, has an integral vertically extending tubular portion 21 with longitudinal grooves radially extending in directions corresponding to the slots ll of the needle cylinder to slidably receive needles 28 and the upper ends of the needles l8. The needles l8 and 28 in the present embodiment are of the latch type. The needle 28, as will be observed by viewing Fig. 2, is relatively short, its lower end terminating in the groove of the tubular portion 21. There may be employed any desired'number of needles and inthe present embodiment half of the needles will be of the type shown at I8 and the other half of the type shown at 28 and may be broadly termed long and short needles. The short needles 28 "have integral projections. 29 serving to form a connection between the needles and their respective rocker arms 30. The rocker.

arms 30 are pivotally mounted at 3| upon brackets 32, shown integral with the cylinder head 25, and have their outer ends pivotally connected to the upper ends of their respective connecting elements l9. v

The means for imparting reciprocatory movement to the needles l8 and the elements l9 consists of an actuating element cylindrical in general contour and having teeth 36 formed on its outer periphery. The teeth 36 may be formed at selected positions on the outer periphery of' the element 35 or may extend therearound. Within the actuating element 35 is disposed a frictionless bearing 38 mounted upon a sleeve 40, the axis of the outer periphery of the sleeve being the same as the axis of the bearing 38 and actuating element whereas the axis of the inner periphery thereof is at an angle to the first mentioned axis. Mounted upon the lower ends of the needles l8 and the elements I9 are enlarged notched portions 42 and 43, respectively,

the notches" thereof being positioned to receive the teeth 36 of the element 35 operatively connecting the needles l8 and the connecting elements I! with the actuating element 35.

The sleeve 40 is mounted upon a vertical shaft 45 and held in place by any suitable means such as, sleeves 46 and 41. A longitudinally extending central aperture in the shaft 45, aligned with the passageway in the cylinder head 25 and the tube 9 provide a passageway through the machine for the covered core. The shaft 45 is journalled at its upper end in a bearing 50, mounted in the cylinder head 25, adjacent its lower end in a bearing 5|, mounted in a portion of the frame 6, and at intermediate positions in bearings 52 and 53 disposed in the needle cylinder l6.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the thread supply l4 remains stationary while the needle cylinder I6 is rotated in one direction and the shaft 45 is rotated at a different speed in the same direction.- A means for rotating the shaft 45 consists of a shaft 6|! rotated through a gear 6| operatively'connected to a gear 82 of a power means (not shown), the shaft 60 having a gear 63 which interengages with a gear 64 mounted upon the shaft 45. A gear 66 also mounted upon the shaft 60 interengages a ring gear 61, disposed adjacent the lower end of the needle cylinder l6, and causes rotation of the needle cylinder.

The needles l8 do not require additional means to hold them against displacement in the grooves of the tubular portion 21 of the cylinder head as they are controlled in their reciprocatory movements by the adjacent walls of the needle cylinder and the sleeve 20. The needles 28 are held against displacement on three sides duringtheir reciprocatory movement by the walls of the grooves, but additional means is provided in the form of 'a split ring 10, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, disposed upon the upper portion 21 of the cylinder head where it is held in place by a set screw 1 I. The split ring 10 is patterned after the sleeve 20 and when it is desirable to remove a needle. the screw ll may be loosened and the ring Ill rotated until the slot therein is disposed in general .alignment with the needle which is to be removed.

When the knitting machine is in operation, the needle cylinder l6 and the shaft .45 are rotated at varying speeds. The actuating element 35 is rotated at the same speed as the needle cylinder due to an integral projection thereof extending into one of the slots l1. Therefore, in the present embodiment of the invention, the shaft 45 rotates in advance and at a faster rate of speed than the needle cylinder, and the actuating element 35, controlled through its angular association with the shaft, imparts simple harmonic reciprocatory movement to the needles I8 directly and to the needles 28 through their respective connecting elements l9 and associated rocker arms 30.. In Fig. 2 one of the needles I8 is shown adjacent its upper position at "the high side of the actuating element whereas a needle 28 is shown adjacent its upper position at the low side of the actuating element. With this mechanism, that is, the connection of certain of the needles directly with the actuating element and the connection of alternate needles therewith through connecting elements and associated rocker arms, a single actuated element can perform double the operation of a single actuating element connected directly to all needles. Furthermore, a simple harmonic movement is imparted to the short needlesthrough their connecting means as well as the'long needles directly associated with the actuating element.

It will be observed that relative rotation of the needle cylinder 16 and the shaft 45 causes circular movement of the actuating element 35 about an axis intersecting the axis of the shaft and cylinder, due to the sleeve 40, resulting in reciprocation of the teeth or connecting portions adjacent the needles l8 and the elements I9 to cause reciprocation thereof. The connecting portions of the actuating element, though moved through a continuous circular path, are reciprocated relative to the needle cylinder between definite predetermined positions and, as illustrated in Fig. 2, when a needle [8 is in one of these positions it completes its reciprocatory movement in one direction, while the diametrically opposite element I9 at the other position completes its reciprocatory movement in the opposite direction to complete the reciprocatory movement of its needle 28 in same direction as the needle l8. r

Any needle may be readily removed by first loosening the set screw II and manually turning the ring I0 until the slot therein is in registration with the needle to be removed. If one of the long needles I8 is to be removed the'set screw 2! is loosened and the sleeve 20 turned to position the slot 22 in registration with the chosen needle. The chosen needle I8 is then free to be removed. Should the needle to be removed be one of the short needles 28 a similar process is followed. The slot 22, however, is moved into registration with the proper connecting element l9, which may be removed through the slot and moved to cause clockwise movement of its rocker arm 30 about the pivot to move the short needle, associated therewith, upwardly and free thereof. In a like manner but in reverse order new needles may be disposed in place.

It will be observed. thatthe nature and embodiment of the invention herein disclosed are merely illustrative and that many changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a knitting machine, a needle carrier, needles carried thereby, an actuating element connected to move one of the needles in one direction, and a member connected to the element for movement thereby in another direction to cause movement of another of the needles in the same direction with the first moved needle.

2. In a knitting machine, a needle carrier, needles carried thereby, an actuating element connected to move one of the needles in one direction, a member connected to the element for movement thereby in another direction, and means interposed between the member and another needle to cause movement of the latter in the direction of movement of the first moved needle.

3. A knitting machine comprising a needle carrier having grooves therein, a needle disposed in one of the grooves, a reciprocating member disposed in another of the grooves, means to actuate the needle and the member, a second needle, and pivotal means to connect the second needle to the member to cause movement of the second needle in a direction opposite the direction of movement of the member.

4. A knitting machine comprising a needle carrier having grooves therein, a needle disposed in one of the grooves, a reciprocating member disposed in another of the grooves, means to actuate the needle and the member, a second needle, and

means carried by the needle carrier to connect the second needle to the member.

5. A knitting machine comprising a needle carrier, a long needle and a short needle carried thereby, a member carried by the needle carrier and operatively connected to the short needle, an element operatively connected to the long needle and the member, means to rotatably support the element at an angle with respect to the needles and the member, and means to cause relative rotation of the needle carrier and the supporting means to cause movement of the element relative to the carrier to move the needles and member.

6. A knitting machine comprising a needle carrier, a long needle and. a short needle carried thereby, a member carried by the needle carrier and operatively connected to the short needle, an element operatively connected to the long needle and the member, means to rotatably support the element at an angle with respect to the needles and the member, means to hold the element against rotation relative to the needle carrier, and means to cause relative rotation of the needle carrier and the supporting means to cause movement of the element relative to the carrier to move the needles and member.

- 7. A knitting machine comprising a needle carrier, a long needle and a short needle carried thereby, a member carried by the needle carrier and operatively connected to the short needle, an element operatively connected to the long needle and the member, means to rotatably support the element at an angle with respect to the needles and the member, and means to cause relative rotation of the needle carrier and the supporting means to cause movement of the element relative to the carrier to move the needles and member to move the long needle and member in opposite directions and cause movement of the short needle in the same direction as the long needle.

8. A knitting machine comprising a needle carrier, needles movably disposed in the carrier, an actuating element disposed inthe needle carrier operatively connected to the needles, 2. member disposed adjacent the axis of the carrier to support the element with its axis intersecting the axis of the carrier, and means to cause relative movement between the element and the member to cause movement of opposed needles in like directions.

9. In a knitting machine for knitting a tubular structure, a shaft, an actuating element mounted upon the shaft with its axis intersecting the axis of the shaft and. having diametrically opposed connecting portions, means to cause relative rotation of the shaft and element, a needle carrier, and needles mounted on the carrier for reciprocation and operatively connected to the said portions' to be moved thereby in like directions simul-- taneously.

10. In a knitting machine for knitting a tubular structure, a shaft, an actuating element mounted upon the shaft with its axis intersecting the axis of the shaft and having diametrically opposed connecting portions, means to cause relative rotation of the shaft and element to cause movement of the portions in converse directions, a needle carrier, and needles mounted on the carrier for reciprocation and operatively connected to the said portions to be moved thereby in like directions simultaneously.

11. In a knitting machine, a needle carrier, needles carried thereby, an actuating element disposed in the carrier, a member disposed adjacent the axis of the carrier to support the element with its axis intersecting the axis of the carrier to cause the element to vary angularly relative to the carrier, and separate means connecting the needles to the element to cause movement of diametrically opposed needles in like directions.

- CLYDE N. STOW/ER. 

